28 Oz Side Of Beans Recipe

Rinse and sort

Rinse the 28 oz of dried beans under cold running water and pick out any stones or shriveled beans.

Place the rinsed beans in a large bowl and cover with at least 6 cups of water. Soak using either the overnight method (cover and refrigerate 8–12 hours) or the quick-soak method: bring to a boil for 2 minutes, remove from heat, cover and let sit 1 hour. Drain and discard soaking water; reserve beans.

In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tbs olive oil over medium heat until shimmering.

Add the 0.75 cup finely chopped onion and sauté 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown at the edges.

Add the 4 minced garlic cloves and sauté 30–45 seconds until fragrant (do not burn).

Stir in 1 tsp ground cumin and 0.5 tsp smoked paprika and cook 20–30 seconds to bloom the spices.

Add the drained beans to the pot and stir to coat with the aromatics and spices.

Pour in 2 cups stock and an additional 6 cups water (approximately — enough to cover beans by about 2 inches). Add 2 bay leaves and 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper.

Bring mixture to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer. Partially cover the pot with a lid to allow some steam to escape.

Simmer 1 to 1.5 hours, stirring every 15 minutes and checking liquid level; add up to 2 additional cups of water if beans appear dry. Start tasting for doneness at 50–60 minutes: beans should be tender but not falling apart.

When beans are tender, remove and discard the bay leaves. If you prefer a creamier texture, mash about 1 cup of beans against the side of the pot with the back of a spoon or use an immersion blender to lightly puree 10–15% of the beans, then stir to combine.

Stir in 2 tsp kosher salt (adjust to taste) and 1 tbs butter if using. Simmer 2–3 minutes more to meld flavors.

Turn off heat and stir in 1 tbs fresh lime juice and 0.25 cup chopped cilantro. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, or lime juice as desired.

If serving immediately, spoon into a warmed side-dish bowl. For best flavor, let beans rest 10–20 minutes to allow flavors to marry; they can be reheated gently before serving.